Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
her friends again. They are generally very obedient to their husbands, and you shal
seldome heare a woman speake in the presence of her husband, except he aske her
some question.
This people live to a great age, which appeares, in that although they marry not
so yong as we doe in England, yet you may see many of them great-grandfathers
to children of good bignesse; and continue at that age, very able and strong men:
The Men and Women have all blacke haire, which is much bigger and harsher
then ours, it is rare to see any of them to waxe gray, although they be very old, but
never bauld: It is seldome seene that any of the men have beards, but they weare
long locks, which reach to their shoulders, and some of them to their wasts: they
are of a comely stature, well favoured, and excellently well limbed, and seldome
any deformed. In their warres, and hunting, they use Bowes and Arrowes (but the
Arrowes are not poysoned, as in other places.) The Arrow-heads are made of a
Flint-stone, the top of a Deares horn, or some Fish-bone, which they fasten with a
sort of glew, which they make. They also use in warres, a short club of a cubite long,
which they call a Tomahawk.
They live for the most part in Townes, like Countrey Villages in England; Their
houses are made like our Arboures, covered some with matts, others with barke of
trees, which defend them from the injury of the weather: The ers are in the midst
of the house, and a hole in the top for the smoake to goe out at. In length, some
of them are 30. others 40. some a 100. foote; and in breadth about 12. foote. They
have some things amongst them which may well become Christians to imitate,
as their temperance in eating and drinking, their Justice each to other, for it is
never heard of, that those of a Nation will rob or steale one from another; and the
English doe often trust them with truck, to deale for them as factors, and they have
performed it very justly: Also they have sent letters by them to Virginia, and into
other parts of of the Countrey, unto their servants that have beene trading abroad,
and they have delivered them, and brought backe answere thereof unto those that
sent thfcm; Also their conuersation each with other, is peaceable, and free from
all scurrulous words, which may give oence; They are very hospitable to their
owne people, and to strangers ; they are also of a grave comportment: Some of
the Adventurers at a time, was at one of their feasts, when Two hundred of them
did meet together; they eate of but one dish at a meale, and every man, although
there be never so many, is serued in a dish by himselfe; their dishes are made of
wood, but handsomely wrought; The dinner lasted two houres; and after dinner,
they sung and danced about two houres more, in all which time, not one word or
action past amongst them that could give the least disturbance to the company;
In the most grave assembly, no man can expect to nd so much time past with
more silence and gravitie: Some Indians comming on a time to James Towne in
Virginia, it happened, that there then fate the Councell to heare causes, and the
Indians feeing such an assembly, asked what it meant? Answere was made, there
was held a Match-comaco (which the Indians call their place of Councell) the
Indian replyed, that they all talke at once, but wee doe not so in our Match-comaco.
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